Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Moving Scout into his own room meant Bubbie got one, too. The only problem was that I was EXHAUSTED from moving The Girl to college, painting her room, moving furniture, clearing out closets and under beds, shopping for various items...not to mention getting the boys started in school with extreme temps in Austin. We've had 79 days of 100 plus heat in a row. Yuck. It's hard to work up the enthusiasm to slave away on my house, know what I mean? But I did manage a bit here and there...

With the extra dresser and stackable crates moved out, now there's room for his bean bag chair. He loves that thing. He sits by the window and practices his horn in it...

Have you noticed that one project inevitably leads to another?

I thought I would never come to a stopping point!

I moved decor on the walls, patched and painted over holes, dedicated the bulletin board exclusively to him. There are still a handful of small things I would like to do for his space, but like I said, I am at a STOP.

I found a cute lamp for his dresser at Tarjay and a red melamine plate for $1.35 - perfect to catch his spare key and other items from his pockets. I cleared off the shelves of Scout's things (oh! the space now!) and created a nook on the bottom bunk for him to cozy up to a white tiger and read by the light of his IKEA lamp.

Now if I could only get him to settle into the school year. Having your own room is a lonely thing and takes some getting used to and Bubbie has had a couple of late nights where he couldn't fall asleep. So I bought some pillow spray at Bath and Body Works and am thinking of getting a white noise machine. He's also getting his own alarm clock so he can start being responsible for getting himself up in the morning.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

But is there some kind of cosmic rule that says if you are a nice person - caring, loving ,and just plain great to be around that you have to have something to offset that? Like your own personal cross to bear? Something that drives your mother mad? Like forgetfulness. Really, if this keeps up, I'm going to have to go to drastic lengths to get this him to remember what he needs to take to school with him....the right notebooks, a fully charged phone, his band music, the water jug.....

Killing me, Scout. Killing. Me.

Now that I have him set up in his own room, I am going to put a plan in effect: helping and teaching him how to be responsible for his daily business - so when it's time to let go, I know he will swim, not sink.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Add haircuts to the list of things that make Bubbie cranky. He's starting to act like an old man at the ripe age of 12 going on 13...

In his opinion he doesn't need a harcut, thankyouverymuch. He's happy with his caveman-do. Nevermind what he looks like first thing in the morning - take a look at that rug! I don't even drag him to Supercuts - it's a quick MommyCuts on the back patio.

The supplies are simple and effective: A clipper set, some scissors, comb, spray water, baby powder, washcloth, and drape. And the view on the patio, with it's breezes blowing is quite nice.

Forgive me for wanting him to look ready to learn on his first day of school! Geez Louise! Wish I had my own personal hairdresser...

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

We did a little Fall-ifying in the backyard, looking forward to spending some cool evenings out there...

I recovered some pillows that had mildew spots. The big cushion is from the "Ginamac" - a fishing and ski barge we owned before kids....and hubby cannot part with it...

The photo doesn't do the colors justice - it's really pretty.

The stripey one is for my chair. Not sure if I will make more pillows for the swing -

more pillows equals more things to clean....

I gave up on trying to grow herbs in this pot on the table - the heat here is relentless. And that IKEA fabric runner was on the small side and grimy. As were the coasters. So I potted a collection of houseplants instead. I used a piece of burlap to make a new runner - it'll do, for now.

Hubby purchased this giant umbrella to extend the patio shade. We added some wind chimes that have beautiful low tones - very relaxing.

And I potted a cactus that might bloom one of these days.

Hubby also extended the patio, removing a small fence. The result is a longer patio, with breezes that blow across the length of it, allowing the wind chimes to make their pretty music.

But the biggest change was a new space for the smoker and two bbq pits to live. Notice my barely there hanging to life fig tree in the background. Poor fig tree!

I still have to work on the yards a bit - but they are discouraging people in Austin from planting new landscaping due to the on-going drought and temps. For now, it will have to be enough that I water the grass every three days or so...and I need to clean up the red rocks and power wash the patio slab.

And what to do about the cow
heads? I'm thinking of painting them. Maybe a different color for each
of them and hang them in various lengths.

Maybe the squirrels won't want to chew on them if they taste like krylon.

Whatcha think?

Can't wait for the weather to get cooler so we can be out here more often!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

This is the state of the dining room as The Girl gathers her things for the move to her college apartment.

A drop in the bucket.

Just a small portion of her tennies collection - but she will have a huge closet there and she won't part with any of them. We have taken two giant trash bags of clothes and stuffed animals to Goodwill!

Hopefully, through our somewhat careful planning and prep, she will have all of what she needs.

I've been using coupons and sales to get her supplies together - cleaning and personal items among them. And she went back to IKEA to get her dishes and flatwear in purple.

Can you tell she's a purple and pink girl?

T minus two days and I think we have our work cut out for us...

Next up: cleaning this up and making it a private space for her 16 year old brother who desperately needs his own room. By the end of August it will be a different color and I will so miss my girl.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Will summer ever end here? Really, we've had over 29 days of 100 plus temps in a row....and no rain for the last three months or so. Like living in Death Valley. I guess. I've only been thru DV once in my life and I was 14....but I remember it being HOT. But I did discover a way recently to make my daily glass of vino a little more refreshing. Sparkling water!

I truly love my daily glass or two of dark red wine. It gives me something to look forward to and helps me feel more friendly - less tired and grouchy. And hey, that makes everyone happier here. Plus, according to my doctor, it's good for my health! This past week, I added a half glass of the sparkling water to my half glass of wine and it mades it fruity and hydrating and wonderful. Try it! Your bladder may thank you! And possibly your family, if it changes your outlook on life after a very hot day...

Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Mama Bear within, when wakened, is not a pretty sight. I consider myself a reasonable person, and I can tolerate a fair amount of nonsense - after all I have 4 kids. But when someone messes with them...I gotta tell ya, it gets me a little hot. I won't go into details but here is what my daughter was offered as helpful items for her new college apartment:

Seriously?

Oh, and there was also an assortment of dirty pillows, a suitcase with a broken zipper pull, some bar glasses that say "Bailey's", and a restaurant bussing bin. Just the things you need if you are going to a Baptist university that has a challenging curriculum, right? Not to mention that mom, dad, and daughter have worked like fiends to get everything in place from financing, to tuition, to a place to live - no small feat since we were under the time gun. So this is like a slap in the Mama Bear's muzzle.

Am I wrong to think that this person does not have my daughter's best interests at heart? When I mentioned that hooker shoes were not on the back-to-school list, I was told it's not about me. Oh, I can assure you, it is about me - and the rest of my family - if I perceive you to be trying to cause us harm.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

My mom used to be able to whip up a meal in just a few minutes after a long day at work. No recipe, just common sense and patience. If she made that same meal a couple weeks later, it would be different somehow - I guess that's because since there was no recipe, it was different each time. Duh, me. Anyhoo....I did the same thing a couple nights ago and was quite proud of myself for being so frugal-minded.

I started with a pound or so of Bratwurst marked down about half price...score! I bought two to go into the freezer. I don't think I've ever even had Bratwurst...it was pretty good!

Took the casings off, cut into small chunks and fried it up to reduce the fat. Drained it and set it aside.

To the drippings I added diced onion and red bell pepper, a few diced potatoes. The bell pepper was also frozen - no need to thaw. Then I seasoned it all up!

After the potatoes were browned a bit, I stirred in the sausage chunks.

I put the lid on the skillet, reduced the heat, and cleaned up the kitchen. 'Cause I'm OCD like that. And I hate having to get up all fat and happy from my chair and do a lot of housework...

I made a fresh spinach salad and we had brownies for dessert, courtesy of a family friend.

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A Mom

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The Girl

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We are a family in Austin, Texas. Hubby and I have worked hard to make a warm and wonderful home to raise four kids - and we are on the home stretch! I believe that a home filled with beauty and love is a blessing for our family and will strive to make it so every day.

Welcome, ya'll!

The Cannary Family

This blog is about our life as a family - learning, living, and making mistakes along the way... we aren't perfect parents and do not live the charmed life. But we are blessed with healthy, beautiful children, and we are doing our best to bring them up with intelligence, love, and solid character. We are a family, and that means everything.